HR= 200, getting the winter running gear ready to go and a question for YOU!!!

Good thing the black and white filter doesn’t let you see that my face was bright red/blotchy/sweaty from the crazy class I took. It is called sports conditioning and it always kicks my trash. I like to think that I am in shape because of all of the running but then I go to this class and I quickly realize that running shape and sports conditioning class shape are not the same thing.

The class is full of 2-3 minute hard cardio intervals followed by weights for 1-2 minutes (not just one muscle group at a time, she makes sure to have us do at least 2 different muscle groups at the same time… i.e. shoulder presses and squats). We took our heart rate after one of the intervals and mine was 200… I don’t think it has been that high since 2005.

I am loving getting back into classes during this time of not having a running training plan. I know we all love running and want to do that as much as possible but it is SOOO good to shake things up. Our bodies gets used to doing the same type of exercise all of the time so find other ways to challenge it too (also by changing up your speed/hills when you run—> a great way to confuse your body and challenge it)! Plus, it keeps your mind entertained too when you switch things up.

So Brooke is getting more dates than me these days;)

Mainly she just runs away from them though. She’s fast.

I am starting to prepare myself for training in the cold. Boston training starts at the end of December= a very very very cold time in Utah.

PS I can’t wait for Brooke to learn how to take pictures because the self-timer isn’t my favorite.

Below—> What the jacket looks like when I use the flash (or what the reflectors look like if you are running when it is dark out). Besides the jackets and tights being awesome things to run in… I have been wearing them around town to do errands and until I finally shower at 5 pm;)

The jacket is water and windproof! I love that it is a fitted jacket and that it isn’t boxy like a lot of jackets. There are three pockets total—> two in the front and one just below the shoulder on your left side. I think the reflectors are awesome because you can’t see them normally but you can REALLY see them when you need to be seen running in the dark. This will be a great top layer for winter running this year.

And the tights. So ridiculously comfortable (I love clothing without any seams). Compression tights = thank you. I even wore them to teach spin and loved them for that too. There are three slit pockets pockets (on the inside of the pants) that make it easy to store a few things while you run. Definitely will be wearing these to run and also when I am in the mood for leggings and a sweatshirt all day.

My question—> I am getting bored with just throwing a bunch of food on top of lettuce or a sweet potato and eating that for lunch or dinner. Where do you guys get healthy meal recipes? Share your wealth of knowledge! Time to shake things up around these parts:)

I am so terrible with switching up my workouts. It is usually run, go for a walk, elliptical or eat ice cream (lots of arm movement involved in that!). I need to work on expanding my comfort zone and try different things!

Today I run. Just 5 miles, so seems like a short run!

I am making baked chicken parm tonight. Haven’t done it in awhile. We usually do pasta at least once a week, steak about once a week, alot of chicken and pork to fill in the gaps. I’m boring. My go to meals are usually protein + rice/potato + veggies. Soups are great this time of year though! (or would be if it was 85 degrees here. Where is fall?!)

Hopefully it turns out well. I am randomly throwing together a recipe with what I have in the house! Breakfasts are always where I struggle. I have to be able to take it to work and I get tired of the same things everyday!

Emily

Have you guys ever tried the refrigerator overnight oats for breakfast? Not sure if you like oatmeal. But as a busy working mom…these are a life saver for healthy on the go breakfasts! You make them the night before and then in the morning breakfast is waiting. There are so many recipes too, on Pinterest or the web. My fav is with pineapple greek yogurt and pineapple. Or cherry with cherries! You can really mix it up. :)

Caitlin

I work at a running store and we had a big Brooks Pure Project event and we were given those tights and they were AWFUL. The entire night all 5 of us women had to keep squatting and yanking them up to keep them from sagging in the crotch. Would not recommend! Ha.

Here’s a good recipe for vegan chili… http://whats-in-it-xl.blogspot.com/2012/01/vegan-chili.html and you could add ground beef or turkey or shredded chicken to it if you wished. I eat really basic food…grilled or roasted chicken, broiled or grilled beef, pan-fried fish accompanied by a steamed veggie(s) for most meals. I like the cookbook How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. It’s just basic with ideas for if/when you want to get fancy.

I haven’t worked out yet today. I’m planning to do my first return-to-rowing workout on the rowing machine this evening. I’m kind of excited yet also filled with a low-level dread because I’m already making the mistake of comparing to where I used to be. Shake it off…shake it off…

My go-to meal as of late is turkey sausage with a ton of veggies tossed in minced garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and italian seasoning thrown in a glass pan and cooked for about half an hour at 425. So much yummy flavor, good protein, and lots of veggie options! I actually had it for dinner last night and leftovers today. I love to use butterball hardwood smoked brand! I like to do mine with squash, zucchini, onion, and bell peppers. I usually serve over wild rice. It’s SO yummy! That meal and taco variations are my “go-to’s!”

I really don’t have too much winter running gear because even in the winter in Texas I usually wind up in shorts!

My workout tonight will be a 6 mile hill run! Excited and also nervous!

I know you know this but honestly Pinterest has some awesome healthy meal options. I normally have some type of salad with chicken or a sandwich for lunch. Boring I know, but normally I don’t have time for much else when I’m at home. However for dinner I get a bit more creative and use the crockpot to make stuff :)

Amanda

For recipes I follow a few blogs that I love and I’ll pin any recipes that stand out to me. Then when I am meal planning for the week I’ll pull up my board and plan to make a few of them. Our meals for the week are usually a mix of a stir fry, a pasta, some kind of sandwich/burger and a soup now that it’s fall! Favorite sites for recipes are iowagirleats.com, howsweeteats.com, skinnytaste.com and cooking light!

My favorite recipe blog is http://www.ohsheglows.com she is really cute and fun, and she has a lot of vegan, gluten free, and nut free alternatives which is really great.

I have been having a hard time switching it up lately, It hasn’t been so cold yet that I thought I would have to get another gym pass(I only have them for the winter months when I can’t get all my running and workouts in outside). My cross training has been Jillian Michael’s Thirty Day Shred, I am trying to do thirty consecutive days!

i ran today for the first time this season in torrential downpour in portland, oregon. it was less than stellar but i did it! i am actually scouring your comment for dinner suggestions as well because cereal just isn’t cutting it anymore!

I love doing warm meals this time of year, my to meals are definitely crockpot soups (once you have a good base you can make many variations) and what my college roommates and I called mixers. Making a mixer basically entails sauteing veggies (I usually do peppers, onions and mushrooms) then adding spinach, tomato and a small amount of cooked pasta. I love this meal because it warms me up after a cold run and it is super easy to prep!

I am also getting stocked up on Winter tunning gear for Boston training. I really love that jacket, it would be a perfect addition to my closet :)

It’s been chilly (around 50) in the morning here lately so I have gotten to bust out some of my winter running gear, including my favorite Brooks jacket and this new Nike drifit pullover I got. I don’t know how I used to run in like, 27 with a windchill of 15 last winter, though! <– I remember it was that exact weather on Thanksgiving and I ran 4 miles.

Speaking of 4 miles, I ran 4 this morning and plan to do another 4 this evening after work.

One of my favourite go to meals is roasted brussel sprouts and sweet potato, served with salmon (baked plain – I’m a simple girl!), or with grilled chicken topped with a home made salsa. I could eat roasted brussel sprouts ALL DAY.

My workout today is probably an example of how I switch things up! I have a bunch of workout dvds that are a bit of a mix of styles (HIIT v strength v intervals v traditional aerobics) and intensity levels, that means I can choose to work a different way on any given day with little effort. Today was a lower intensity HIIT workout just to get moving and shake out my muscles :)

I taught 2 spin and 3 Bodypump classes today! Not by choice necessarily….I just happened to be called to sub for another instructor today. Crock pot queen here! I am looking for other people’s suggestions, though!

Been on an Indian food kick lately. A lot of it is really easy. Our family favorite is Chana Masala with some rice and naan. Our other go-to food is Mexican. Veggie enchiladas are pretty easy. And if I’m in carb-loading mode, I make a VERY easy pad thai with spaghetti noodles and peanut sauce (peanut butter, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and ginger).

I think the hardest part about cooking is actually coming up with the meal. A couple I know has an agreement that she’ll do all the cooking if he comes up with the meal ideas and helps clean. A trick I’ve learned is to write down a good meal on a recipe card (including the sides I served) and then when I need an idea, I just go through the cards.

Love your new gear!

I just started yoga a few months ago. Totally foreign experience for me. And I’ve also started doing more weight training.

Hi! I try to make every week a bit different with workouts. Tonight I’m teaching a double-header of BODYATTACK and BODYPUMP, so those are my workouts. Tomorrow will probably be something low-key like yoga. Gotta keep the body guessing. Have a great night!

Cheryl

I totally agree – now that I’m not training for a half I desperately need to change up my workouts! I do hot yoga once a week but want to add spin and some weights!! That jacket is so cute! I need one!

Macy

That class sounds like this new to me dvd Ive been doing, 30 day shred. I thought, psh 20 minutes doesnt “count” as a real workout so I will just do it after a run. Shew, did I underestimate that dvd! I guess maybe I should pick up weights more often then when something starts to hurt and I cant run. Ha.

Love your new clothes! I just got a sweet hoodie on sale from Brooks. It has a pocket on the inside for your phone and a PONYTAIL hole plus it’s super warm. I mean, it doesnt get any better than that!

I’m in college so my meals are a little different but when I’m at home, I love to make dinner for the fam.http://www.melskitchencafe.com is one of my favorite recipe blogs! She has an awesome recipe for a skillet lasagna that only uses one pan: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/simple-and-meaty-skillet-lasagna/
I freeze leftover soup, chicken, beef, and pasta dishes all the time in individual servings, which is really convenient if it’s just me, and they taste great if you defrost them the night before and then microwave them!

Melanie

I do a hash with a starchy veggie, meat, healthy fat and green veggie with eggs or a burger over a salad with some sweet potato and avocado for something quick. I also make my own mayo and use it to make creamy dressings or dips.

I have posted quite a few of my favorite recipes on my blog: jenchoosesjoy.com :)
I run daily, but I love to add in different classes for my cross training. I am loving Orange Theory right now and TRX.
Today, I ran 8 miles and did some light free weights.

I like to cook, and one thing that gets me out of a repetitive rut is buying new, interesting ingredients to experiment with. I think our favorite lately was thanks to shark being on sale – I seared the shark steaks and then deglazed the same pan with coconut milk and added some green curry, cilantro, lime, garlic, sriracha, red bell pepper strips, and scallions. It cooked for like 2 minutes max – I poured the sauce over the steaks and served on Jasmine rice. So – the whole thing took like 10 minutes if you already have cooked rice (I keep a pot of cooked rice in the fridge all the time!) and I’ve done the same thing with pork loin roast, chicken breasts, and other fish, too. It’s super fast and easy and then I just put a big salad with it.

Christy

I’ve been trying to try one new fitness class at my gym/a studio in the area per week. I’m not a yoga person, but this week I tried power yoga and actually really liked it!

My go to fall meal: Thai Curry Soup! So so easy you just take red curry paste, coconut milk, soy sauce, chicken broth, a little brown sugar and ginger if you have it and heat through (I usually simmer for 10 mins to make it thicker) and then add in whatever veggies you like and rotisserie chicken! I usually serve with brown rice. Best part? I think the leftovers taste even better because the flavors have time to mix :)

I really like allrecipes.com because the recipes are rated and people can leave comments. I typically search by whatever type of entree I want to make (for example, Salmon) and pick one of the recipes that has 5 stars. The comments will tell you what needs to be adjusted in the recipe, and I don’t think I’ve ever made anything I didn’t like from there.

We eat a lot of steak and vegetables. I love roasting broccoli or brussels sprouts but in the winter I tend to make London broil instead of grilling so I’ll make asparagus in the microwave. Turn on broiler, season meat, put meat under broiler. Snap ends off asparagus, put in microwave safe dish. Put it in the microwave for 5 or 6 minutes. When the timer goes off, flip the steak. Put it back in the oven for about 4 or 5 minutes. Dinner is done!

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and arrange the chicken breasts in the dish.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and spread over the chicken breasts.
3. Bake for 45 minutes.

Tiffany C

What are some of your go to meals at home?
baked veggies- cauliflower, carrots, jalapenos, sweet potato, broccoli lightly brushed with olive oil and seasoning. I try to make a huge pot of brown rice on Monday and eat with some type of veggie at night. Quinoa “pasta” with spicy marinara sauce.

What do you do to switch up your workouts?
I usually work out by myself so once in a while I will work out with a friend and it will be a nice change of pace. I also play soccer which is a lot of running but still different. If my workouts are starting to get boring I look on instagram/ youtube for some inspiration.

What was your workout today?
Today I am still recovering from my marathon and my foot is a little bit injured so I did a long walk this morning and will be a strength workout at the gym tonight!

I had quite possibly the best and most productive day I’ve ever had in months. Everything went as I had planned, and some great extra things happened in the day.

At 5:30 am I woke up. I checked my emails.

At 6:00am I did an insanity workout. The longest and one of the hardest ones–max interval training was 75 minutes! I championed through it and felt like those pylometric moves that used to get me breathless in 30 seconds I went on for 1 minute at a steady pace. It’s time to ramp it up and jump higher, get more reps in in a small time frame to really push myself since I’m starting to adapt. Good for athletic performance, bad if you want to continue improving your fitness.

Then I took a cold shower at 7:20am and from there, I knew my day was headed in the right direction.

My first period was dance class. The teacher was overall satisfied with our group experimental performance to a Jazz Number, “Question of Youth”. Being an inexperienced dancer among the others, that was good enough for me. :)

Second period called for a math test, which I felt I aced. I knew how to answer every question, even in words! If I were to talk out the answer, I could. That’s how you know you understand the unit well. I’m confident that I will receive a good mark and I actually can’t wait to get it back. From the feedback of two classmates, they weren’t so pleased with the test, but I’m glad I did well because I desperately needed this test to boost my marks, which, are sobbing.

Lunch was great. I broke my fast with exactly what I prepared from last night and tried not to worry about my macros and calories, whether I got them right or not. When you’re under true ketosis, it really shouldn’t matter and you can actually work with little fuel since your entire fat stores your body can use for energy. I had some pork meat mixed with coconut oil and chili lime juice, parsley, bone broth(which is so so so nutritious for you), and get this…coconut ice cream! All paleo, all natural, easy, wholesome, and low carb. Yummy!

Then female fitness came. In the back of my mind I was dreading this because, and I feel that many athletes can relate, I put pressure on myself to run hard and train hard. If I don’t at one point feel breathless, it’s not “good enough”. It’s a mentality that’s hard to push away, but I told myself to just get on the treadmill and see what happens because I often surprise myself how much might I have. Turns out, I PR-ed. I PR-ED!! My fastest 2 miler, 2.5 miler, and 3 miler ever. Wow, wow, wow!

And finally, after school I had rehearsals for the Drama play, As You Like It. It ended at 5:45pm with me feeling mentally tired from all the memorizing. I felt phony in my acting today, like I was trying to find emotions that weren’t really there and I wasn’t sure what I’m supposed to feel at certain parts of the scene. It was an off day for me in acting but at the very end when everyone left and it was just me and the director in the room, he told me that my work was excellent for this kind of material, and I get the feeling he favoured me a little bit more than my fellow coworkers because I have a lot of potential. His words! And he thinks I was awesome for forging my parent’s signature just to have a chance to audition for the Arts school I currently attend.

HE COMPLETED MY PERFECT DAY PERFECTLY! Gahhhhh!!!!!!!

Maddie

-Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (melskitchencafe.com) is incredible. Mel has come up with every delicious homemade meal imaginable.
-I’m living in a college dorm currently, so my go-to meals are microwaved sweet potatoes and oatmeal. Needless to say I’m so ready to have a kitchen.
-I’ve been on the spin bike and aqua jogging in the pool a lot lately because of a stress fracture. BUT I got to run today, and then did spin for a second workout!!!

I’m also getting geared up for winter running. It’s already so windy here! Those tights are awesome! My store sells the capris, and I really want the full lengths!
Dates are overrated anyways, especially when you have someone as cute as Brooke to go out with :P

Rachel

I love making a big pot of curry and serving it over brown rice (that I cook ahead and freeze or buy at TJ’s) It makes the easiest lunch/dinner when all you have to do is defrost it :) This is one of my favourite recipes: http://www.thefirstmess.com/2014/10/02/cauliflower-kale-chickpea-curry-pot-recipe/
BUT instead of just vegetable stock I always throw in a can of coconut milk! Don’t forget, the coconut milk MAKES IT.

Kate

I take a similar workout class. It’s 55 mins total and you switch back and forth between 5 mins of treadmill intervals and 5 mins of weights. The class flies by. And it has really helped improve my running time. I usually go 3 days a week and run 2-3 days a week (on opposite days).

My fav lunch is recipe from my friend who teache the above class. It’s basically like buffalo chicken dip, but healthier. It’s shredded chicken, cream cheese, plain greek yogurt, and buffalo sauce. Made in the slow cooker. I eat on wheat wraps with lettuce and carrots or just in the lettuce. If you’re interested, I can share exact recipe.

Laura

Wow, that is a beautiful jacket. Although not in a teacher’s budget… is there a teacher discount?

I have a lot of scrambled eggs, roasted veggies with nutritional yeast, pizza bagels, tofu stirfry, eggplant with pasta sauce and cheese, and Alexia fries/tots. Sometimes I go buy sushi or just pile a veggie burger on-top of a salad. .. Seriously though Alexia products are tasty! Especially if you like sweet potatoes :o)

I get a lot of meal inspiration on Pinterest! Our go-to meals are spaghetti (plus salad), tacos, baked chicken + roasted potatoes + asparagus, salmon + asparagus, homemade pizza, and then Pinterest ideas. One of our favorite things to do is have a “Trader Joes appetizer night.” All you have to do is go to TJs, pick up appetizers, heat them up, and ta-da! :)

i went through a phase of making it about once a week! i also recommend picking one new recipe from a cookbook (barefoot contessa’s recipes are divine and always turn out great) each week. subscribing to a cooking magazine (cooking light and bon appetit are two of my faves!) is also really helpful for inspiration.

Katie B.

I am obsessed with budgetbytes.com – it’s a cheap recipe site that categorizes everything via cost (does a lot of Costco shopping…I feel like you’re made for each other) and also by main ingredient and type of dish. Everything on here is so so so good! I particularly love the panko breaded chicken (way better than any fried chicken ever) and chicken salad recipes. You will definitely love it!! :)

Abby Sparrow

Super easy and delicious and healthy meal: brown rice + ground turkey + shredded Brussels sprouts + pounds of Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning = way too easy and yummy. I always prep these on Sunday with a lb of ground turkey and have it for weekday lunches!!!

Katy

Lindsay McAlester

Last night I made ground turkey tacos for taco Tuesday. Kids loved it and can make their own plates. I used half the package to make some meatballs for spaghetti that we had tonight. Also, crockpot soups are a quick fav around here! I’d you make chili whether it’s vegetarian or meat loaded in a crockpot, you can use the leftovers for chili cheese enchiladas. Super yummy! I love leftovers. Oh! And I just recently fell in love with the crockpot whole roasted chicken. So easy!

I love epicurious for recipes (you can use the ‘healthy’ filter after you search for a recipe), and fitsugar.com also has some pretty good recipes, or try whole foods recipe page. I’m pretty obsessed with salad, and I like to make my own recipes based on whats in season, or whats in my fridge. My go-to meal is salmon with stir fried brocolli and mushrooms with quinoa or rice noodles, and rice vinegar and sweet chili sauce for seasoning- so good, and also cheap and fast. In the winter I do the same thing as a soup…cook veggies and rice noodles in vegetable broth and season with rice vinegar, lime juice, and fish sauce, and add some fish or salmon.

Kelly

I’ve been eating a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches. Sometimes just cheese with jelly on top. Sometimes with turkey inside. Sometimes with some Amy’s soup on the side. Yum!

Ran 3 miles yesterday… But confirmed that something is indeed wrong with my foot.. So I’m taking the rest of the week off and hoping it doesn’t mess up my half-marathon training too bad. I have three weeks to get better!!

I really need to get some cold weather gear soon as the flakes could start flying soon. Now that it is cooler, we have been eating lots of chili of all sorts. I’ll be posting an awesome turkey pumpkin chili this weekend. I second, or third Oh She Glows and Iowagirleats. Also, http://pinchofyum.com/ is fabuous.

Lisa

Amy

Try the 100 Days or Real Food blog for healthy, easy, kid friendly, small quantity recipes! Just put on the blinders regarding the no refined sugar/flour rules. Great cookbook too.
I think you mentioned your Jaybird earbuds crapped out on you on MarathonDay. I had been dealing with just one earbud working for months then the second went out too. I couldn’t deal with wires, so I began searching for a new pair. I was reminded how much $$$ they were during my search. So, I gave Jaybird a call, and amazingly without hassle, my replacement pair is on its way. Yay for lifetime warranties and good customer service. I know you worked with them and have the inside track, but in case you were still delaying the hassle, it really was no hassle even for those outside the loop!

Lauren

My sister and I love making baked eggplant/eggplant parm once a week or so. We slice the eggplant into discs, then bake for 15 or so min. then remove from oven and top w/ tomato sauce, parm +mozz cheese. Then, we bake it again till the eggplant is cooked through and the cheese is melted. You could also switch up the cheeses. With that, we’ll usually make some whole wheat garlic toast. I like to eat my toast and eggplant separately, but my sister loves to eat it like a sandwich. As a bonus, it’s good cold too and makes great leftovers!

Hallo from England!! I have just started receiving your blog and I love it!!!! You have inspired me!! I ran the London marathon in April and since then I have been doing circuit training, high intensity interval training and spin to mix things up with my running and I love a good game of tennis too!!! I’m deciding now what race to sign up for next!! For food I have a great website http://www.lemonsqueezy.eu which has loads of Mediterranean inspired healthy recipes. My favourites are the chicken and pepper stew, quick and healthy prawn curry and I love them because they satisfy my runners appetite but taste really good too and are super healthy!!! There are loads of recipes so I try a new one every week to keep it interesting. My aim is to train for a race now I am fuelling my body better and see if it helps me improve my time!!!

Michelle

We like to make salmon rice bowls. Start with brown rice (or quinoa, farro, whatever), top with grilled salmon, sliced cucumber, green onion, avocado and sesame seeds and drizzle soy sauce over the top (wasabi optional). Feels like eating sushi!

Christina M Williams

Your whole entire food life will change after you check this link out. I warn you though, don’t even look until you have a whole hour available and money in the bank to buy ingredients for the 18 million things you will want to make.

Christina M Williams

Tiffany

It’s funny that you mentioned that you shower at 5pm. Yesterday I was thinking that I definitely go out in public looking a little less “fresh” than I should because I plan my showers around my runs and not publicly accepted hygiene. I’m not sorry. :)

Too cold to go on a run? Not with this winter workout gear. We’ve picked out winter running clothes and gear that have your comfort, safety and style in mind. The Best Cold-Weather Workout Gear. The perfectly crisp fall days are almost behind us.